A DISABILITY training charity has celebrated the opening of its new training and food services hub in Ensbury Park.

Staff, volunteers, trainees and interns from The Crumbs Project, which was established in 1996, were joined by around 50 supporters at the new centre in Slades Farm.

Crumbs provides a range of services from buffets, sandwich and tuck box deliveries as well as outside hot meal catering services to lunch clubs and sheltered housing schemes, created by a mixed disability workforce of vulnerable adults.

The charity's founder, Anne Gardener MBE, said at its AGM that it was a great day for the charity, before adding: "Little did I think when we started out that we would see the charity become such a success.

"Now we are expanding to provide yet more opportunities for vulnerable people within our community to experience diverse types of training to stand them in good stead for employment both within our own organisation and out in the wider community."

Douglas Eyre, chairman of the board, said that it was a great achievement to open the Crumbs Centre Training and Food Services Hub and thanked those who had help to fund the charity.

"The enthusiasm from the staff, trainee and intern workforces alike for our new programme including the outreach and in-house meals service and enlarged community food services is quite wonderful.

"There are two key aims with the first being to deliver increased support for our interns through our various meals services. This is to create robust individuals better able to withstand the rigours of the competitive world of work, leading to better chances of steady employment, whether paid or voluntary.

"The second aim is to increase the turnover of our social enterprise to underpin core costs and deliver the means for the charity to flourish into the long term.

"It is a great cause and the buzz and sense of fun which is often experienced at Crumbs is an inspiration to everyone involved."